Belinda Karahalios facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Belinda Karahalios
Karahalios in July 2018
President of the New Blue Party of Ontario
Incumbent
Assumed office October 12, 2020
Leader	Jim Karahalios
Preceded by	Position established
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for Cambridge
In office June 7, 2018 – May 3, 2022
Preceded by	Kathryn McGarry
Succeeded by	Brian Riddell
Personal details
Born	1981/1982 (age 43–44) Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Political party	New Blue
Other political affiliations	Progressive Conservative (2018–2020)
Spouse	Jim Karahalios
Children	1
Residence	Cambridge, Ontario
Occupation	Politician healthcare consultant
Portfolio	Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services (2018–2019), Parliamentary Assistant to the Solicitor General (2019–2020)

Belinda Carmen Karahalios is a Canadian politician. She was a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for the area of Cambridge in Ontario. She served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2018 to 2022.

Karahalios was first elected in 2018 as part of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. In 2020, she was removed from her party. This happened because she voted against a bill that would let the government extend emergency powers without asking the legislature. She then finished her term as a member of the New Blue Party of Ontario. This party was started by her husband, Jim Karahalios. She was not re-elected in the 2022 election.

Political Journey

Starting in Politics

Belinda Karahalios won the election in Cambridge in 2018. On June 29, 2018, she became a special assistant to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Later, on June 20, 2019, she became a special assistant to the Solicitor General.

Working on New Laws

On November 26, 2019, Karahalios introduced a bill called the Ensuring Transparency and Integrity in Political Party Elections Act, 2019. This bill aimed to stop cheating in elections held within political parties. It passed a second vote, but it did not become a law before the next election was called in 2022.

Leaving Her Party

Karahalios was removed from the Progressive Conservative party by its leader, Doug Ford. This happened after she voted against Bill 195, known as the Reopening Ontario Act. This bill would have given the government more emergency powers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Karahalios said the bill was "unnecessary overreach" on democracy.

Starting a New Party

After leaving her old party, Karahalios helped start the New Blue Party of Ontario. She co-founded this party with her husband, Jim Karahalios.

Rules in the Legislature

In December 2021, Karahalios was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly. This was because she did not show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. She showed a negative COVID-19 test, but it was not accepted because of rules about recent positive tests.

End of Her Term

Karahalios was not re-elected in the 2022 Ontario general election. She also ran for Cambridge City Council in the 2022 local elections, but she did not win.

About Her Life

Belinda Karahalios is married to Jim Karahalios. He is a lawyer and started groups like "Axe The Carbon Tax." Belinda is from a mixed background, with family from Trinidad and Portugal.

Election Results

Here are the results from the 2018 election where Belinda Karahalios won: